What If: An Intelligent Device Meets Civilian Pianist
by Writer-and-Artist27
Summary: A What-If story where an old Device meets its new master. A civilian pianist, hoping to help her swordsman friend. To say the least, it's a fitting match. [Spin-off of The Sea and Stars, crossing over Civilian Pianist and Lang Noi's Catch Your Breath]


_Disclaimer_ : I don't own _anything_ except Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe (even though the cafe isn't really mentioned here). This is really a "What-if"/crack/AU scenario of the infamous/famous Memory Arc in _Catch Your Breath_ , taking place in a one-shot of _The Sea and Stars_ universe. It's _not canon_ , so don't think about it!

I really wanted to get this idea out for a while, especially with school weighing on me, so for those of you following me, please enjoy this little alternative tidbit!

The theme for this chapter is specifically _Raising Heart, Set Up!_ From the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Movie 1st Soundtrack!

Please enjoy!

* * *

 _What if: An Intelligent Device Meets Civilian Pianist_

One year ago, a civilian was passing through the local Konoha shopping district for groceries before something caught her eye.

More specifically, a red glint in a store window.

Hoshino Tomoko stopped her walk, taking a step to the side to look.

A small, circular shaped red gem shined back at her, almost fondly from behind the glass, attached to a simple gold latch on a leather string necklace. If she didn't know any better, it would've looked like a red pearl, winking at her from beneath the sea.

Before she could stop herself, the civilian was walking into the store.

"Excuse me? How much money are you willing to take for the red gem necklace on display?"

The civilian later walked home with her hands full of groceries and that same jewel dangling from her neck.

It was only the next morning, when she went out for her usual morning jog, that it happened.

No one else was around her except the trees and birds, so the only one who heard the voice was the civilian alone.

 **"Are you my new Master?"**

Hoshino Tomoko nearly screamed.

* * *

"…So wait, are you an…Intelligent Device?"

 **"Yes. I am an relic of what you may know as Mid-Childa. You seem to have much magical potential. How do you feel about learning about my past?"**

"I-I…I would love to! But… I can't just call you, well, 'you,' or 'it,' all the time…So, what's your name?"

 **"…My name is Raising Heart. Raising Heart Exelion."**

* * *

"Tomoko-chan, what is it?"

"Uh…Papa, what do you know about long-range projectile fighting?"

"…Where are you going with this?"

"I think…I think I found my ideal weapon."

 **"Hello, Sir Judai."**

"…what the _fuck_?!"

* * *

"Tsunade-sama?"

"…Judai? What is it? You never approach me."

"I need your help."

"In what? I'm a busy woman, you know."

"In training my daughter."

"…What?"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight, Tomoko-chan."

"…Okay, Tsunade-sama?"

"You bought this gem all on your own, only to find out it's an old replica that calls itself an ' _Intelligent Device_ ', and you want to learn _magic_ from it?"

"Uh…yes? Thing is, Raising Heart says that mana can be converted from chakra, so…if there's something wrong with my chakra, I could just train with her and it wouldn't be a problem…right?"

"…Let's get Kushina. This sounds _interesting_."

* * *

" _What?!_ Tomoko-chan's going to be fighting?!"

"N-Not so loud, Kushina-nee! I-I just want to learn how to defend myself! That way, nothing bad should happen to me if you're not around!"

"B-But…but…"

"Kushina-nee, please!"

"…"

" _Please_ ~?"

"…Alright. But _promise_ me you will be careful. This is completely unknown territory, so we can't guarantee anything. I'll supervise with Tsunade-sama, but stay as _safe_ as you can!"

"Promise! Cross my heart!"

If only the adults knew how much was going on in the civilian's head. If only.

* * *

A year later, the Snake Sannin paused. "Hm?" Orochimaru blinked.

The Sorayama air…was different.

It held the taste of blood and fear that he loved so much only a few seconds ago...so then why...?

A burst of pink and white flashed in front of him. "GAH!" He covered his eyes reflexively, looking away from the direction of his supposed target. It was so _bright_ …!

Gekkō Keisuke should've been vulnerable for a Curse Seal. He should've had the chance! So then…why…?

 _What happened_?

The light slowly faded, and he looked back only to blink.

Black hair. White hair ribbon. And a red-gold jeweled staff.

"You are…" he said.

The fool Keisuke blinked, eyes wide with surprise. "T-Tomo…?"

The girl turned, her dress immediately changing to that of white and blue edges. "Hi, Kei-chan. Sorry for being late." Then, she looked back towards him with hard, angry sapphire, pointing the staff in his direction. "Let me guess, the snake pervert is being a pervert?"

 **"What is your command, master?"**

 _What?_ Orochimaru blinked. Did the jewel just…did the staff just…

"Raising Heart, Exelion Mode. Full Drive. Limit Release." The girl said.

 **"Ignition."**

 _Ca-chink. Ca-chink._

Two strange shells were released from the staff and fell to the ground, disintegrating into sparkles almost immediately.

And then.

Another bright pink glow.

Orochimaru forced himself to stare.

The girl's appearance changed again. Her medium-long hair was now in a side ponytail, brushing her cheek as the same white dress upgraded, taking on the same red accents as her staff, a black undershirt underneath her vest.

 _ **Danger.**_ His senses warned. _**Go.**_

And yet he stayed, smirking. That same transformation brought along the same scent of blood.

Sweet-scented blood that he loved so much.

"…Hoshino Tomoko, right?" He waved a hand. "Daughter of Yuki Judai, helper of Gekkō Keisuke, and the weak pianist no one relies on anymore?" He turned on the charm. "Why come here when you know you're going to die?"

The staff promptly transformed into what he assumed to be a cannon. The girl's eyes filled with angry tears. "…I will die. One day," she said quietly, looking down at the staff for a moment. Then, those same blue eyes hardened as she looked up at him, lifting the staff so that she could grasp its trigger. "But that day _isn't_ today."

"…Tomo?" Kei gasped from behind.

He could see it. He could _taste it._

He had an opening. He could—

But before he could lurch forward and plant his mark in his prey, he couldn't even _move_ his arms.

"What—" He looked down.

Dark, angry pink circles bound both his arms and legs. "What is this?!" He demanded angrily, looking up. Attempting to struggle didn't help, because all it did was tighten their grip on his body, making him feel much like a doll. "This isn't ninjutsu!"

Tomoko lowered her raised hand, putting it back on the staff. " _Chakra Bind._ "

Then, three large pink rings surrounded the staff. A large ball of energy formed soon after.

 **"Divine Buster."** The staff called, the words forming cursive warnings in the large red gem.

Tomoko's eyes hardened again as she pointed the apparently large sphere of pink energy at him.

Orochimaru felt his heart sink in his chest.

" _Exelion Divine Buster_."

 _ **Oh SHIT**_ —

The beam fired.

BOOM.

For good measure, Tomoko gathered whatever energy was left in the air. The much larger, pink sphere gathered at her fingertips as waves of chakra swarmed in to make it larger.

 **Starlight Breaker!** Raising Heart called out almost happily.

"…I'm sorry, Kei," she said softly.

Nothing would ever be the same again. She flew up into the air, aimed the large pink sphere at the smoke, and fired.

" _Starlight…BREAKER!_ "

KA-BOOM.

* * *

 _Huff. Puff. Huff. Puff._

Tomoko could feel blood rushing down her hand and onto the staff. Her heart ached, and it wasn't because of her possibly killing someone.

Her flier fins flickered, their strength clearly fragile.

 **"Are you okay, Master?"**

Raising Heart. A friend and a Device Tomoko never thought she would see in her lifetime. And yet she was here, asking if she was okay.

Tomoko raised the staff up to face-level with a shaky smile. "I-I'm okay, Raising Heart. We'll need to check for a pulse."

 **"No need."** Small, pink locator orbs shot out of the jewel, darting into the smoke. **"Let me check for vital signs. Go down to your friends, Master."**

"…Thank you, Raising Heart." And Tomoko properly dispelled her flier fins, landing softly in the desert sand.

Kei was looking up at her. "T-Tomo..."

"Hello again, Kei," she said softly, holding back the urge to wince. The blood was pooling past her fingerless gloves now.

"Tomoko…" Kei stumbled to her feet, holding her left arm with a wince. "Why did you—"

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. About…" She trailed off, looking down at herself. White dress with red jewels and blue accents. Alongside Raising Heart in Staff form, it made for an image the civilian knew her friend wasn't expecting. "About this." Tomoko looked up with a shaky smile. The blood then dripped onto the sand. "I didn't want to worry you."

 **Master, you're bleeding.** Raising Heart commented mentally.

 _Raising Heart, don't. I'll handle this_.

The device thankfully went silent.

But as soon as that conversation ended, Tomoko found herself pulled into a tight hug. The pain was already starting to register, but it seemed like a dull ache compared to the shaky mass gripping onto her Barrier Jacket. Tomoko lifted a hand towards the person's shoulder. "…Kei?"

"Tomo…you complete _dolt._ " The arms wrapped around her squeezed her softly. " _Not worry me?_ What in all hell were you thinking…?"

Tomoko nearly dropped Raising Heart. The blood trailing down her hand simply hung there on her fingers—not flowing, but not stopping either. "…Kei?"

"Why?" The ninja shook before slowly falling to her knees, taking the girl with her. "Why did you…why did you…?" A soft snort.

 **"Master, there are no vital signs. He is gone."**

The tension finally left her as Tomoko found herself relaxing. The pain was a dull ache spreading through her body - it didn't feel right dispelling her Barrier Jacket when it could possibly worsen. Instead, she focused on the shaking ninja. "…Kei, I followed you here because I love you, okay?"

Kei froze.

Tomoko found herself breathing in the scent of subdued ink, mochi, and blood from the ninja's shoulder while smiling softly. "I love you, Kei," she repeated quietly, rubbing a hand up and down the ninja's back. "You're my best friend. You're my reincarnation buddy, Kei. There's no way I could leave you alone. So…" she glanced at the staff in her hands. The red jewel sparkled appreciatively. "If it meant using this power, then I would do it all over again."

The aching tiredness was getting stronger.

 _Raising Heart, check on Kei and me too, please?_

 **Of course.**

The soft hum of magic ran through her as Tomoko gently murmured the key words. " _The wind is in the sky, the stars in the heavens. And this unyielding soul in our hearts._ " She smiled again. "Raising Heart?"

The device audibly hummed. **"Set Up."**

The Pink Mid-Childan Magic Circle broke through the desert sand underneath the two women as magic hummed in the air.

 **"Healing."**

The ache was slowly disappearing. Tomoko hugged Kei tighter.

"You shouldn't think you're useless or unneeded, Kei. I need you. Everybody needs you." Tomoko paused. "…No," she corrected, pulling away with a shaky smile. "We _all_ love you, okay?"

The ninja was starting to tear up now. "T-Tomo…"

Tomoko glanced at her device. Raising Heart. An Intelligent Device, and most importantly, a friend. "Raising Heart, dispel the Barrier Jacket, please?"

The gem glowed uncertainly. **"Are you sure, Master? Your wounds—"**

"Will heal at one point. Right now..." She glanced at Kei, who hid her face in her hands. "I need to focus on her, please?"

The gem glowed again, a bit brighter. **"Alright. Barrier Jacket, Purge."**

The white dress faded away for the familiar red-black kimono dress, and Tomoko found herself collapsing near Kei's side. More specifically, her head landing on the ninja's shoulder out of the pain hitting her all at once.

"T-Tomo!?" Kei's teary black eyes were looking down at her again, those same muscular arms holding her up. Raising Heart shined, almost as if she was worried too, having yet to dispel Device Form.

 **"Master!"** The gem voiced worriedly.

"Uh..." Tomoko found herself shrugging tiredly, pushing the smallest of aches to the side despite feeling cramps and what appeared to be blood all over her limbs. She was strangely grateful for wearing red and black now, since it hid the amount of blood flowing out. It didn't make the situation better, though. "I-I guess I overdid it on the attacks…hehe…" she tried to smile up at the ninja, but all the gesture did was make Kei's tears more apparent.

"T-Tomo…" Kei's bangs shaded her eyes as the first tears landed on her face. "Y-You…"

The tired, chakra-exhausted civilian raised a shaky hand towards her friend's cheek to wipe a tear away. "It's okay… Kei…I wanted this. Don't…Don't blame yourself—"

Before she could say anymore, her strength finally ran out and the last thing Tomoko saw was Kei's panicked face.

" _TOMO!_ "

 **"Master!"**

* * *

"—Tomo! Tomo!"

… _Huh? Who…Who is…_

 **"Master! Master!"**

I opened my eyes. The first thing that greeted me was white ceiling, and when attempting to move my body, the first thing that greeted me was lots of _pain_. _Ow_.

And…did I have…an oxygen mask on? What was that grip on my hand? It…kinda hurt…

My vision cleared up.

And the first thing I saw was Kei, looming over me with the most panicked face I had ever seen. "…Tomo…" she said softly, relief shining in her black eyes.

"K…Kei?" I winced. My voice sounded horrible too.

What happened?

Then, it hit me. Even before Raising Heart flew around in front of me too, small pink energy wings propelling her tiny, jewel Standby Form.

 **"Master, you've been out for almost a week now,"** she said softly.

Orochimaru. Taking on the Barrier Jacket for the first time in combat. Successively using Exelion Mode, Limit Release, and _then_ a full-powered Divine Buster and Starlight Breaker?

I wasn't sure who would kill me first.

Tsunade-sama, Kushina-nee, or Papa? Hell, maybe even Kei?

 _Brrr._

Instead, I tried to focus on Kei, who was still looking at me with wide eyes. "H-Hi…Kei…" I tried, hoping my face was showing a hopeful smile.

"Tomo…" Kei was tearing up.

Kei. Was. _Tearing. Up_.

 _Oh no._

"K-Kei…" I attempted to reach over to touch her hand, only to wince again. "It's okay…I'm okay…"

 **"Master,"** Raising Heart said softly.

Then, the door slammed open. Kei promptly jumped up from her seat near my bed, and the next thing I knew, I could hear the loud clanking of high heels.

 _Oh no._

 **"Lady Tsunade is here, Master."** Raising Heart properly announced.

True to my Device's words, the Senju woman quickly stomped her way into the room, her face caught between relief and a seething glare. I tried not to look away, knowing that what awaited was something I needed to hear. "... Well," Tsunade-sama started, writing some things on her clipboard, probably checking some things off. "You're awake."

"…Tsunade…sama…" I said weakly.

Kei stepped away to let the older woman walk closer, albeit hesitantly. I didn't miss how her dark eyes darted between me and the Senju with a mix of nervousness and fear. In the meantime, the medic gave me a half-hearted glare. "That was very reckless of you, Tomoko."

The fact that she wasn't using the _-chan_ honorific said more than enough. I just nodded. "I…know…"

Tsunade sighed. "…Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it could've been. Considering everything else that happened at Sorayama, the fact that you got away with some internal bleeding and a large case of chakra exhaustion was just the tip of the iceberg." Then, she glared with full force, and I couldn't help the flinch running through me. "That does _not_ excuse the fact that you left the village via flight _on your own_ without permission, _and_ used Limit Release as well as _Full Fucking Drive_ when I remember Kushina and I telling you _not_ to."

I couldn't deny it. I went against my training orders, and that wasn't something easily forgiven.

Kei grimaced. "Tsunade-sama, it was—"

The Senju raised a hand in Kei's direction before looking back at me with softer eyes. "However."

I gulped.

"I can understand why." Tsunade said quietly.

 **"…Lady Tsunade?"** Raising Heart piped in.

"You wanted to save a loved one, and I can't deny how strong those feelings were. The fact that Raising Heart followed you without hesitation is more than enough proof." The Senju was smiling now. I didn't miss how Kei flushed a light pink behind her. "It's because of you that Orochimaru might be gone now."

Huh? Wait... I...

I _killed_ Orochimaru?

 **"Master, she is right."** Raising Heart flew close to my side again. **"I read the vital signs in Sorayama. He was nowhere to be found."**

Was I speaking telepathically again?

 **"Yes."** The Device answered.

 _Oh dear._

I found myself breathing out a shaky sigh. "I…see…"

"Let there be no repeat of this again, alright?" Tsunade tapped her clipboard against the IV pole near my bed. "You were out for about a week, dealing with that exhaustion. Considering your civilian body, I'm surprised you hung on for so long. Another incident like this may prove to be fatal towards your physical abilities."

 _Ack._

Alright, no limit breaks for me. And the new limit was just ONE Divine Buster. That was it.

…Or maybe an Accel Shooter. Projectiles sounded better than a large pink beam that took the shit out of me.

"…Okay…" I finished meekly.

Tsunade then smiled again before reaching over to take the mask off my face. Finally, _finally_ , I could breathe fresh air, and with the window open, I could smell the warm spring winds coming in. "Get some rest, Tomoko. You need it." Then, with another tap towards the IV pole with her clipboard, she disappeared.

Leaving me alone with Kei again.

The ninja blinked. "…That wasn't what I was expecting."

I shrugged. "…Things…happen, Kei…"

"…Still," Kei averted her eyes while sitting down in the visitor chair again. "…Um."

I blinked, trying to push the sleepiness out of my mind. "…Yeah?"

A long pause. Kei gripped her left arm a bit tighter with her right hand, frowning. I waited, not wanting to force it.

Then, she turned to me with hesitant black eyes. "…Why did you do it?"

"…Do what?" I said back.

She frowned. Then, she face palmed, dragging her hand across her face. "…You know what I mean, Tomo. What…What Tsunade-sama talked about."

 _Oh._

 **"Master?"** Raising Heart asked.

I glanced at the Device with a smile. "Raising Heart, how about you get some rest? Right now, it's between Kei and I."

 **"…Are you sure, Master?"** the Device said slowly. I didn't miss how Kei glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. Then again, I wouldn't blame her for being a bit freaked at seeing a red gem flying. Oh well.

"I'm sure, Raising Heart. You need some rest too." With that said, the Device gleamed a bit before doing its best impersonation of a nod. Then, it flew over to the counter at my right side, landing on a small cushion that was provided there.

 **"Good night then, Master."** Raising Heart sparkled before letting the light fade.

"Good night, Raising Heart." With what strength I had, I made sure to lightly touch the jewel with a simple finger, and she flickered as if pleased before resting.

"…When did you get a talking robot jewel?" Kei deadpanned, and I looked up only to smile sheepishly.

"She's an _Intelligent Device,_ Kei. Think a weapon with sentience, like a robot that cares for you." I corrected, glancing at the dormant jewel for a moment. "I just found her, in a shop one day." A small chuckle left me. "And then when jogging, she suddenly activated, saying I had much 'magical potential,' or…whatever that meant." I was honestly guessing it was my yin chakra that made it look that way. Reincarnation had its benefits, I suppose. "It…kinda flew off from there." I held back the urge to sigh. "It was…it was actually during the year you were gone that I trained that much to get to the level that you saw back then."

Kei blinked. Then she gaped, mouth open for a few seconds before closing it. "…Really?"

"I-I…I wasn't supposed to _do_ half of the things that I did back then." I looked down at my hands, wiggling my fingers for a little bit. Thankfully, they were the only part of my body that didn't hurt like all hell, despite my memory recalling blood trailing down them—but that wasn't the point. "But…I wanted to do it. I don't regret doing it, Kei."

"But…But that's not _it_ , Tomoko!" I tried not to jump at the sight of my best friend standing up abruptly from her seat, clearly looking away with a scowl. " _Why_ did you do it?! Why did you risk yourself out there?! He could've killed you! He could've…he could've…"

I reached over to touch her hand softly. "But he didn't. And I wouldn't have let him."

Kei was looking at me with wide eyes again. "T-Tomo—"

"Kei, I told you back then." I did my best to smile the brightest smile I had left. "I _love_ you. I love you, Kei. It's because of that feeling alone that I don't regret lying here in this hospital bed. That I don't regret doing what I did." I made sure to unravel the tight fist her left hand was making to instead stroke the inside of her palm with my fingers. "I originally trained with Raising Heart as a last resort. So that if anything happened, I could be there to help. You're my best friend, Kei. I want to be there when you need me. And…" I trailed off, looking down at myself. "Orochimaru looked like he was going to _bite_ you or something. The time with Canon Sasuke was bad enough. I didn't want a repeat."

Then, I gulped, the words flowing out before I could stop them. "…I didn't want a repeat of my old family's trauma again."

Kei looked up at me, her hand instinctively gripping mine. "…Repeat?" She gaped.

"I..." My heart pounded hard in my chest, but I forced myself to continue. "I _failed_ my old family back then, Kei. I couldn't do that to you. Not to the girl who found out I was a reincarnation, to the ninja that saved my life back when we were 9, and the amazing person who keeps looking after others." My smile was becoming watery, but I didn't care anymore. Kei needed to hear this. _I_ needed to say this.

"I didn't want to leave my reincarnation buddy alone after her year by herself. No one deserves that. Especially not you, Kei. You're an amazing, wonderful person that deserves every hug and bit of love in the world. Don't beat yourself up for being useless or unneeded." The tears were coming out now. "I _love_ you. More than anything else, Kei. So don't beat yourself up like this anymore." I gripped her hand tightly. "Don't leave yourself alone anymore. Because I'm going to be together with you, until the very end."

One last breath.

" _That's a promise_."

Kei was staring at me with wide eyes. "T-Tomo…"

And then the first tears dripped onto the blankets. I looked down at myself, only to flush. "O-Oh," was the only way I could aptly put it, because the tears clearly weren't Kei's. "…Oh dear…" I found myself laughing sheepishly, only to get caught up in a soft sniffle. "I-I—"

Kei immediately got out of her chair to sit at my bedside and pull me into a warm hug. Mochi. Ink. It was Kei, alright. "…Okay." She breathed against my hair. "That's a promise."

"Kei…" A whimper escaped me now. "Y-You…You seriously are an oblivious dork sometimes, you know that?"

A shaky scoff sounded as she rested a hand against the back of my head, tucking me into her shoulder. "I-I know, Tomo. I know that now."

"Ugh…" Another sniffle. I gulped it down in an attempt to find composure, especially since I had just finished a _goddamn friendship speech_ , only to find myself choking a bit. "Kei…"

"I'm sorry, Tomo," she said softly, fingers gently brushing through my hair. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"D-Don't…don't apologize—" I choked again, finding myself fisting her Jounin blue shirt. "Y-You couldn't…you c-couldn't have k-k-known—" A hiccup.

"Thank you," Kei said finally, other arm reaching over to wrap around my waist. "Thank you. For being here, for being okay, a-and for saying all that."

"K-Kei…" Did she realize _what_ she just said? Did she realize that she was repeating the same words as that nine-year old who saved me? I found myself tearing up more. "I-I really love you, okay? D-Don't forget that…please…" It was getting harder to hold back the sobs now.

"…I won't. That's another promise." A soft pressure landed on the crown of my head that made my heart stop in my chest. "I-I love you too, Tomo. Don't forget that either."

By then, the tears were already flowing without end. "O-Of course…of course…"

And then we both were hugging each other, crying endlessly.

I wasn't sure how long we sat there, clinging to one another and crying. But it felt…nice. Honestly, the safest, and warmest, that I had ever been in the past year.

Kei was here with me. And I couldn't be happier.

Once we let go of each other, I could feel the tiredness and aches come back almost immediately, and I tried not to wince. Kei just wiped at her eyes with her sleeve before smiling at me shakily. "T-Tomo, do you want me to get some tissues?"

Without hesitation, I shook my head. "N-Nah, just…" I grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Please stay, please?"

… _Why did I say it twice?_

The ninja blinked, eyes wide again until she smiled. Kei then scooted closer to me at my bedside again, pulling me in to rest my head against her shoulder. "Okay."

Then the door slammed open for the second time that day.

"TOMOKO-CHAN!" Papa and Kushina yelled at the same time, the duo running into the room to crowd the right side of my bed, sharing expressions of panic. On the other hand, I didn't miss how Mama was lurking behind Papa, the same worried expression on her face and a tissue box in hand.

That box looked _so nice_ from here...

"…Uh…" I started, blinking.

Kei raised a hand in greeting. "Yo!"

I tried not to facepalm.

"Kei-kun…" Papa seemed to be caught between smiling and frowning all at once. "Why are your eyes so red? And why is Tomoko-chan dealing with the same thing?"

Oh dear. I could feel the aura coming before he could emit it. "P-Papa, it's okay," I attempted to raise a hand up only to wince. "K-Kei helped me…with, uh, with my emotional baggage…" I trailed off, lowering my hand to look down at the covers.

Papa only breathed out a sigh before reaching over and taking said hand. "I'll leave the lectures for another time, since it looks like it's been a long day. Just…" The last thing I was expecting was for him to pull on my hand and bring me in for a kiss on the forehead. "I'm just happy you're okay."

The tears were close to starting up again. "P-Papa…"

Mama sighed above Papa's shoulder before pushing the tissue box in my direction. "Make sure to wipe your face, Tomoko-chan."

I immediately took one tissue from the box to pass to Kei first before grabbing one myself to blow my nose.

HONK.

Kushina-nee sighed afterwards. "What is it with Minato and I finding the most reckless of kids...?"

"Hey, Kushina," Papa straightened himself to look at her with a playful glare. "That's my daughter and niece you're talking about there."

"My point still stands, Judai!" The Uzumaki woman shot back, frowning.

"H-Hey, you two, we're still in Tomoko-chan's hospital room…!" Mom tried to add, only to be overwhelmed by the power of ninja.

I just found myself blinking before yawning.

Kei squeezed my shoulder softly. "Need a nap?"

I couldn't even find the words to speak anymore, only nodding. The kunoichi above me simply smiled, and I didn't miss the same soft pressure landing on my hair a few seconds later. "Get some rest, Tomo." The same, warm shoulder was offered to me again. "You need it."

"Okay…" The last things I saw before my vision went black was the beginnings of what seemed to be a playful argument between Papa and Kushina-nee. "…Love you, Kei…"

A warm chuckle was the last thing I heard before the same soft feeling landed on my head. "Love you too, Tomo."

And then I finally fell asleep.

* * *

 _Author's Note_ : …Well, this was a thing. Tomoko. Being a magical girl. Wielding one of the most famous Motion Guns in Magical Girl History. I guess that's what happens when you're stressed and watch lots of _Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha._

It's _not_ going to happen in CP _or_ in S &S, but eh. Ah well. Needed to get my magical girl hobby out _somewhere_ before it seeped into the actual stories to ruin everything.

I hope you guys enjoyed this little crack tidbit!

This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to sleep!


End file.
